Just Launched: Recording Arts Grad Brandon Figueroa

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In FSBlog’s Just Launched feature, we talk to brand new Full Sail grads, right out the door from graduation, about what’s next for them as they head out into the workforce. This month’s Just Launched graduate is Brandon Figueroa.

First Internship: I started a couple of weeks ago at KDS Studios, a high-end recording studio here in Orlando. They have three studios – A, B, and C – and a really large live rehearsal space. (The Voice used the room for auditions when they were in town.) The studio deals with everything from local artists to high-end industry acts; their client list has included NYSNC, the Backstreet Boys, Eminem, Wiz Khalifa, Pusha T, and more. As an intern, I’m starting from the bottom – cleaning, organizing, helping out the managers and engineers with various tasks, and fielding phone calls at the front desk – but I was able to sit in on a session within my first week, which was pretty cool. Once they see your dedication and how much they can rely on you, you move up from there.

How You Got Your Foot in the Door: A friend of mine who graduated in last month’s class got an internship at KDS before me. I think the manager saw how dedicated he was, so when my friend said he had a couple of other friends who were just as dedicated as him, the manager passed along his number. I called him up to introduce myself, we talked for a little bit to get a feel for each other, and then he told me to come in the very next day and that’s when I started. It was a very fast-paced thing, and I didn’t think it was going to happen so quickly, but I guess once he met me he felt the same way that my friend had felt. I was very fortunate.

Before Graduation: I’ve been into music since I was very young. I started songwriting and wanted to build my own studio, which made me more interested in how to do things properly and professionally. I came to Full Sail so that I could help myself, keep on learning, and see where I could take everything. This is my first internship, but I’ve got a home studio and have been doing freelance stuff for friends to get some experience along the way.

Short-Term Goals: In the next year or so, I plan to still be here at KDS, either interning or grabbing sessions and gaining experience. They’re a great group of people, and I don’t want to gain the experience and just leave. I definitely want to show them my dedication. I want to see how I can make it last and what relationships I can build in a year. My friend has only been here for three weeks and he already got a session. Who knows what can happen in three months, let alone a year.

Down the Road: I definitely want to do vocal production – whether it’s music, audio books, commercials, voice overs – that’s my big thing. It would be nice to move back up to New York and be around family, and I like Atlanta, too. But wherever I end up in the future, as long as I’m editing and recording vocals and sitting in a studio, I’ll feel like I’ve achieved my dream career.